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CENTRAL NEW YORK BOOK ARTS: TRADITIONAL TO INNOVATIVE
See The Exhibition Online, And Order Your Catalog.
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I was away for a few days, turned off the list, so I missed the original
posting. But I had to respond.
Thank you Charles for this wonderful letter. I know I hold back
for exactly the same reason, having been on the recieving end
of some of those refered to. I have a hard time being attacked,
I think most people do. But there are some for whom argument is
intellectual sport. I have been in the book arts community
though for a long time, and I know it goes with the territory.
As an artist/educator, the arrogance factor amazes me. But I know
I can also be abrupt, and have to watch myself too. Also sometimes
things read badly in email, and perhaps more harshly than were intended.
There really are no bad questions.
No one learns how to make books in the womb.
I know what I know, only because of those generous
enough to share their information.
We learn from each other.
Regards
Miriam Schaer
>A BA member, Robin, wrote of her hesitation in getting involved in =
>discussions because she had been "smacked down" by someone for getting =
>off the subject, and therefore had retreated into silence.
>
>I've experience the same thing, but have this advice for Robin: The =
>smackers, in my view, seem to consider themselves "experts" in their =
>field, and some are. But they also suffer from exalted egos which =
>render them useless to anyone daring to ask an intelligent question or =
>pose a view that these gifts to mankind consider beneath them. A few of =
>them are notorious and well known to the general membership.
>
>My advice is "Say your piece," and don't worry about the feedback. =
>There's been enough nonsense show up on this site to warrant all but the =
>most outrageous threads being seen as normal, and some of those have =
>gone on for longer than was warranted, and had less to do with book arts =
>than they did with personal soap-boxes.
>
>I'm in here because as a binder and bibliophile I am interested in how =
>others do things, what techniques they have to share, products or =
>processes that I might learn about, and similar information that =
>sometimes surfaces among the flotsam of controversy that seems to infect =
>it more often than necessary.
>
>The field of book-related information runs the gamut from the simple, =
>craft-minded person who would like to learn how to repair a favorite =
>book, to the arch-conservator-type with decades of highly technical =
>experience and training beyond any but the rarest few. There is no one =
>anywhere within that spectrum of skills whose question or comment on the =
>field is unworthy of posting here, and anyone who would bop a =
>contributor for doing so should be ashamed.
>
>I have learned that the best in the field, and most of the lesser ones =
>whose work is honest, are more than willing to help, listen, consult and =
>encourage. The others, whose patience is less than a millisecond in =
>duration, should be tolerated but ignored if the feedback is =
>contentious, discourteous or ungraceful.
>
>Take heart - take part, and be free to ask or contribute.
>
>Charles Schermerhorn
>The New Leaf Book Bindery
>Lompoc, Calif.
>
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BOOK_ARTS-L: The listserv for all the book arts.
For subscription information, the Archive, and other related
resources and links go to the Book_Arts-L FAQ at:
<http://www.philobiblon.com>
To unsubscribe, type the following into the message body:
UNSUB Book_Arts-L AND SEND TO: LISTSERV@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
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